Family fears for missing Hermiston woman's safety

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HERMISTON, OR -- "This is my darling, sweet daughter. And I'll die practically, if she doesn't make it back."

Starr Nice knows it just isn't like her daughter Melody Mickel to go without contact for nearly two days.

"We knew she had to go to work today at noon. And so when I came here and they said she wasn't here, it's very unusual."

Police say Melody's fellow coworkers at Rite Aid reported her missing Thursday morning, after she'd been gone for about four hours with NO explanation.

Surveillance video outside the Hermiston drug store shows Melody getting in the car with her ex boyfriend, Alberto Martinez. Employees say she even left her shift early, and hasn't been seen since.

In their investigation, authorities ended up at Martinez's home. Police tell Action News, the two had just recently broken up.

"Upon arriving at that residence, suspicious circumstances were observed, at which point, we contacted the Umatilla County Sheriff's Office to ask for assistance.

Investigators aren't expanding on those suspicious circumstances, nor will they confirm that there were any signs of a struggle at Alberto's home. But with Melody's sudden and unexplained disappearance, they it is no doubt suspicious. especially when you factor in his criminal past.

Officials are now awaiting a search warrant for the home, to process it for any evidence.

The pair were last seen in a black, 4-door Subaru Legacy with Oregon plates: 003CWZ. If you see it, or them, police say to call 9-1-1 immediately.

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